Boy, 16, admits murdering teacher in England

A 16-year-old boy has pleaded guilty to murdering teacher Ann Maguire in England.

The teenager stabbed Mrs Maguire, 61, as she taught a class at Corpus Christi Catholic College, in Leeds, in April, when he was 15.

He admitted murder when he appeared at Leeds Crown Court today.

Prosecutor Paul Greaney QC told the court: ``It is important that we should record that it is clear from the evidence that the parents of (the boy) are decent people and responsible parents. They are at a loss to understand how and why their son has turned out as he has and they have co-operated fully with the police and with the prosecution.

“It follows that this is not one of those cases in which a defendant’s actions may find a degree of explanation in his family circumstances.

“On the contrary, (the boy’s) family life was marked by love and support.”

Mr Greaney added that that made the defendant’s actions “all the more inexplicable”.

He said the boy was in Mrs Maguire’s Spanish class and his academic reports “had generally been positive”.

Mr Greaney said there was nothing to indicate to the boy's parents or teachers a risk of ``homicidal violence''.

But, he said, pupils noticed disturbing aspects to his personality.

The boy told other children that he hated Mrs Maguire and wanted her dead.

The prosecutor said: “Late on the night of Christmas Eve 2013 and into the early hours of Christmas Day, the defendant exchanged messages with a friend on Facebook.

“In those messages he spoke of ’brutally killing’ Mrs Maguire and spending the rest of his life in jail so as not to have to worry about life or money.”

The defendant, wearing a grey suit and tie, stood flanked by two prison officers in the dock as the court clerk read out the charge.

He looked straight ahead and showed no emotion as he admitted murdering Mrs Maguire.

The teenager’s parents sat at the back of the dock and listened intently to the details of their son’s crime.

Mrs Maguire’s family sat in an area of the courtroom normally reserved for court officials, while the large public gallery was packed with members of the press.

Due to the young age of the defendant, the judge and barristers did not wear their wigs and gowns during the hearing.

Two months before the murder, the boy sent a message on Facebook which said of Mrs Maguire: "The one absolute f****** bitch that deserves more than death, more than pain and more than anything that we can understand.''